NDP: Abolish the “unelected and unaccountable Senate of Canada”

Before becoming prime minister, Stephen Harper, said: “I will not name appointed people to the Senate.” Since coming to power in 2006, he’s appointed a staggering 58 senators.

The New Democrats today repeated their call for the abolition of Canada’s scandal-ridden “useless, expensive, undemocratic appendage of government”, the Senate. The Official Opposition’s MP for Toronto-Danforth, Craig Scott, issued the following statement earlier today:

In order to address the irresponsible conduct of the unelected Senate, NDP Democratic and Parliamentary Reform Critic Craig Scott has tabled the following Opposition Day Motion which will be debated tomorrow: “That, in the opinion of the House, the government of Canada, in consultation with the provinces and territories, should take immediate steps towards abolishing the unelected and unaccountable Senate of Canada.”

The motion is a call to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reverse course live up to his earlier democratic promise. In 2004, Harper described the Red Chamber as a “dumping ground for the favoured cronies of the Prime Minister.” He also said: “I will not name appointed people to the Senate. Anyone who sits in the Parliament of Canada must be elected by the people they represent.” Today, none of the 105 individuals who sit in Canada’s upper house are elected. And, instead of reforming the Senate, Harper has stacked it with failed candidates, praise-singers, party funders and other loyalists. The Canadian Progressive recommends: